To have loved
by chilledchick
Summary: Charlotte Grayson is a nurse who falls in love with her patient , Declan Porter. But things are never that simple. How will Declan handle losing a leg ?
1. Chapter 1

Charlotte woke with a start. She had worked the late shift last night and must have fallen asleep in the nurse's room. She could hear the normal hubbub of the ward, the crashing of trays and the beeping of machines. She glanced at the clock. It was twenty minutes until her next shift. She pulled on her warm, fluffy coat and made her way to the coffee bar on the corner

Slowly she walked down the street. Today she noticed every little detail. She saw mothers with children in pushchairs, she saw the college students laughing as they made their way to school. She even noticed the countless taxis waiting for the early morning rush. As she rounded the corner, she saw a man leaving the shop. Stopping just short of the door she followed him with her eyes. He was tall, well toned with sallow skin and exquisite spiky brown hair. The suit he was wear looked like it had been made for him. It showed off all his body, his muscular arms, his toned legs and his broad shoulders. Never had she felt so attracted to man. He pulled out his car keys and opened his car. Someone beeped their horn and he turned around.

She quickly averted her eyes and hurried into the coffee bar. She picked a table near the window and settled into the soft chair. The smell of fresh coffee assaulted her nose. She called the waitress over and ordered double shot espresso and porridge with fresh fruit. This coffee shop was her favourite she got coffee and food here so often she knew most of the staff by name. When her espresso came, she sipped the hot liquid slowly. She watched the couple at the table next to her share a bun and plan their day. She longed to have someone that she could share her life with, her thoughts drifted to the man she had seen outside. She was jolted back to reality by her mobile ringing. She felt the pockets of her coat, searching for the ringing phone. She finally found it in her h the cluttered right pocket. It was her supervisor. She quickly flipped the phone up.

"Hello?" Charlotte said in an unsure voice.

"Charlotte, we need you back on the ward right now. There was a big accident. A car was hit by a bus. There are ten injured people."

"I'll be there in the next three minutes."

Charlotte hurriedly paid for the order and ran back to the hospital. She entered the ward at a speed and cleaned up. As she turned around she was met by the grateful eyes of her supervisor, Gail Johnston.

"Thank you, Charlotte .Mr Porter needs someone to bring him down to the x-ray department and he needs several wounds dressed and cleaned. He was driving the car, so he is not in great shape." She rambled all this out at such a high speed that I had to take a minute to process what I was to do. I nodded.

"Which is Mr. Porter?" I asked hoping this poor man wasn't in too bad of a state.

"Bed five. Now please get to work."

Charlotte grabbed the trolley with bandages and the like on it and pulled it over to bed five. When she turned to talk to him she got the shock of her life. It was the man from outside the coffee shop and he was in a very bad state. Quickly she regained her composure. He was her patient and she need to help him, not to ogle his body.

"Sir, my name is charlotte. I'm just going to dress your wounds, ok? Then i'll escort you to the x-ray department. Is that ok, sir?" I said scrutinising his injured body and the leg which looked crushed.

"Ok. Can I please have something for the pain?" he said this through gritted teeth, his face contorted in pain.

She couldn't help him with the pain .he'd had some already and couldn't have anymore. She hear his breathing, it was so heavy she ached to be able to relieve him of his pain. She grabbed the tweezers.

"I can't give you any more pain medicine. I'm sorry sir. I'm going to clean out the wound on your head. It will need a stitch. Is that ok Mr Porter?" Charlotte said.

He glanced up at her and she saw something flash through his eyes. She started to pick out the glass and dirt out of the wound. She looked down into his deep emerald green eyes. She continued to clean the wound. It was a mess quickly she finished cleaning and tending his wounds.

"Sir we are going to go down to the x-ray now."She smiled a comforting smile. As she escorted him down, her mind wondered o all the patients she had helped to get better. She saw the radiographer and smiled. She passed Mr Porter over and headed back to the ward.

After a while her supervisor came over.

"Charlotte I want you to tell Mr Porter that his leg is severely damaged and the orthopaedic surgeon will come have a chat with him later. Its bad it may have to be amputated."


	2. Chapter 2

Mr Porter had his hands clamped firmly on the bed rails . "Sir ? I have the results of your x-rays. Your leg has been severely crushed . There is a chance you will lose your leg sir." Charolotte watched his face . She could see the pain and also a hint of fear. "How high are my chances of keeping it ? " she could see the effect all this was having on him. His heart moniter beeping slightly faster. "Sir the orthopaedic surgeon will be down the see you soon . " He persisted. "Your opinion is what though ? Will I keep it ?" she thought carefully before answering . "Sir I have seen worse limbs saved. I'm sure the surgeon will try his best . Is there anything else I can get for you ? "he looked up at Charlotte . "Can you ring my brother ? Don't tell him what happened. Could you prentend that I'm staying with some women and I'm busy? He's listed as my next of kin" Charlotte nodded and left. She thought about the state shed be in if she was in Mr Declan Porter's shoes. She would be screaming the house down for her half sister Amanda and she certainly wouldn't be so calm about the whole thing. She lifted the phone and dialed Jack Porter's number. "Stowaway. Jack speaking. " she was a little nervous. Charlotte couldn't place why but she was . "Hi . My names Charlotte Grayson . Declan asked me to ring you and tell you we are going to be away for a while and not to worry about him. " She glanced over at Declan as he eased into a comfier position. "And why exactly can't my lazy little brother ring himself Charlotte. " Shit. She hadn't thought it through aswel as she thought she had . "He is a little busy. He's trying to find a way to ... Recover the necklace which I dropped down the side of his car seat. " She wasn't sure he'd buy it . She wasn't sure she bought it . " Ok. Well tell him to call asap. And tell him I'm glad he's found a woman who'll take his crap" and he hung up before I could explain I wasn't his girlfriend .


End file.
